Quarterback to Back: Does Skylar Thompson Know What He’s Getting Into?

During this weekend’s matchup with Kansas State, there will be OSU-leaning mismatches all over the field, but none this lopsided.

Skylar Thompson started off his redshirt freshman season as Kansas State’s third-string QB — or lower depending on whether or not you include those in the wide receiver meeting room.

Thompson is fresh off of his first start, a 28-23 loss to West Virginia and Rudolph is a couple weeks removed from this third-straight win against the Mountaineers. One is as green at the come and the other has wins over every conference opponent.

So how will the two QBs stack up this weekend in their first (and last) matchup? Let’s start with the numbers.

The statistical chasm between the two signal callers is comical — *Thompson’s snapcount does not even qualify a Total QBR — but Kansas State’s offense and track record with backup QBs might be a reason for pause.

Rudolph owns every statistical QB stat that matters at OSU and those numbers would lap most Wildcat quarterbacks, ever. But let’s not pretend we aren’t all at least pessimistically cautious about the prospect of facing K-State’s backup.

But if we look at this game just from a numbers standpoint, there is no competition. One quarterback leads an offense ranked second in scoring, second in offensive efficiency and third in points per drive, in America. The other’s team ranks T42nd, 60th and 54th in those same categories.

By the time we get into the meat of this game, everyone inside Boone Pickens Stadium will know the outcome of TCU-Tech, and what Rudolph and Co. are actually playing for. There’s no doubt who the better QB is. Hopefully, he has the better team, as well.